Lift trucks having two laterally spaced apart motors, or fluid cylinders, each of which has associated therewith a respective chain assembly, provide excellent forward visability through the space between the cylinders. However, due to the wide stance of the chain assemblies, vertical rotations of a load support, such as when an off-center load is upon the load support, result in uneven tensions in the chain assemblies. These unequal tensions reduce the life of the chain assemblies, place unnecessary and unequal loading on the cylinders, and tend to over-stress other lifting components.
Devices are known to the art for single cylinder lift trucks which equalize the load between a pair of chain assemblies associated with the single cylinder. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,825, issued Mar. 8, 1977, inventor Charles R. Chelin, discloses a pivot element which is interconnected between a pair of chain assemblies and connects the chain assemblies to a carriage which carries a load. The pivot element causes equalization of the load between the chain assemblies in single engine lift trucks in response to an excessive load being imposed on one of the chain assemblies.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.